Post-spring position rankings

In the weeks following the 2015 spring practice season, we’ve been ranking our top-10 players by position as of the end of the spring.

You can take a look at our previous position rankings above, and can check out our top 10 SEC wide receivers after spring ball below:

10. Christian Kirk, Texas A&M: Although he’s yet to make his formal SEC debut, Kirk impressed coaches in College Station as an early enrollee this spring. Considering how often Texas A&M relies on the pass to move the ball, Kirk is likely to carve out a substantial role in A&M’s offense this fall, quickly rising up the ranks among the conference’s top wideouts. He is as fast as any wideout in the SEC, and makes quick, precise cuts that make him tough to mark in coverage. He can play out of the slot, can carry the ball on reverses and can excel as a kick returner as well. If he continues to shine, it’ll be tough for his coaches to keep him off the field as a true freshman.

9. Travin Dural, LSU: Dural remains quite possibly the most dangerous deep threat in the SEC, as evidenced by his 20.5 yards per catch average last season as a member of the SEC’s least-accomplished passing offense. He’ll continue to battle the same obstacles in 2015, namely the lack of a defined quarterback running the offense, but his straight-line speed and playmaking ability should maintain his standing as one of the scariest downfield players in the conference.

8. Keon Hatcher, Arkansas: Hatcher is more of a consistent possession receiver on the outside, using sound fundamentals and the experience of a savvy veteran to move the chains in Arkansas’ run-heavy offense. He’s somewhat an anti-Dural in that he led Arkansas in receiving despite ranking 26th in the conference in yards per catch average at fewer than 13 yards per reception, but he consistently runs crisp routes and earns the line to gain as a third-down option who often faces single-coverage against defenses loading the box to stop the run.

7. Speedy Noil, Texas A&M: Noil finished fourth on the Aggies in catches a year ago despite hauling in 46 receptions as a true freshman, the 11th-most receptions of any player in the SEC. With Malcome Kennedy now on to postgraduate life, Noil will likely step into a bigger role in the offense, especially down the field (he averaged fewer yards per catch than Hatcher last year as primarily an underneath option in the passing game). He possesses a rare combination of size, speed, strength and athleticism, and he’ll begin putting that to good use this fall, especially with Kirk playing in the slot to open up opportunities for Noil on the outside.

6. Demarcus Robinson, Florida: Robinson is likely to post huge numbers in 2015 due in large part to the lack of other playmakers in Florida’s offense. No, the Gators do not have an established starting quarterback in place, which actually puts them in the majority as far as SEC offenses are concerned. However, Robinson finished fifth in the SEC with 810 yards receiving last year, and he didn’t have a capable quarterback then either. Whoever is taking snaps this fall will look Robinson’s way first on every passing down, and with great speed and agility Robinson can turn any lapse on defense into a big play for an otherwise unheralded Florida offense.

5. De’Runnya Wilson, Mississippi State: Wilson battled injuries this spring, and added an arrest for marijuana possession while home in Alabama for spring break to his troubles, but the former basketball star remains one of the SEC’s top wideouts after spring practice. He’ll work in tandem with reigning first-team All-SEC quarterback Dak Prescott for another year, and will be complemented by a normally stout Dan Mullen rushing attack as well as some talented returning wideouts behind him like Fred Ross and Joe Morrow. If Wilson can use his freakish size, strength and athleticism to dominate on the outside and in the red zone, he could push past 1,000 yards on a Mississippi State offense that’ll no longer catch opponents by surprise.

4. Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M: Reynolds led the SEC’s deepest wide receiver corps in College Station last season, setting a school record with 13 touchdowns in his first year as a junior college transfer. With a year of SEC experience under his belt, Reynolds should be even better in 2015. He has players like Noil, Kirk and Ricky Seals-Jones surrounding him, an established quarterback in Kyle Allen under center (established relative to other SEC passers, at least) and an offense that will give him plenty of chances to catch passes. If he can duplicate his play from last year, and he should, he’ll be a household name in the Southeast by season’s end.

3. Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss: The former No. 1 wideout from the 2013 recruiting class, Treadwell has led Ole Miss in receptions in each of his first two college seasons and has shown no signs of letting up, barring injuries. His 2014 season was cut short due to a broken leg and he was cautiously limited this spring as a result, but he was reportedly at “80 percent” this spring and should be 100 percent by the season opener on Sept. 5. Treadwell can make plays in any area of the field, he can out-jump any defender and he’s as hard to bring down as any skill player in the conference. If anything, it’s amazing he’s only third on this list.

2. Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina: Cooper wins the SEC’s “most versatile weapon” award, excelling as a traditional wideout, a slot receiver, a runner (on reverses and sweeps) and a quarterback. He can line up anywhere on the field and make an impact, and defenses must monitor Cooper no matter where he goes, opening up as many opportunities for teammates as it does for Cooper himself. He’s a menace as a Wildcat quarterback who can throw like, you know, a real quarterback, while also maintaining explosive running abilities in the open field. He can stretch the field on the outside and can catch passes underneath before making defenders miss to earn yards after the catch. He’s as complete a player as anyone in the SEC, and that variety of skills could lead him to a high selection in next year’s NFL draft as a result.

1. D’haquille Williams, Auburn: Williams could be playing in the NFL if he wanted to be. Some projected him as high as a first-round pick in this year’s draft, but the former junior college transfer instead decided to return to Auburn for his senior season. At 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, Williams is big and strong but runs better than most wideouts at the college level. He can catch balls in traffic and he dominates down the field and in the red zone as a result. He can also make tough catches along the sideline, and when given space has the explosiveness to break away from the pack. He’ll face lofty expectations in 2015, but with strong-armed signal caller Jeremy Johnson in place, Williams should be in store for another dazzling season on the plains.